Ohio River Contamination

By Jacque Day

Murray, KY – Kentucky is part of a six-state coalition working to clean up 475 miles of the Ohio River. An analysis of more than 14-thousand samples taken from Cairo, Illinois to Pittsburgh reveal high fecal counts following heavy rains along almost half of the 981-mile river. According to the study, much of the sewage comes from treatment plant overflows, groundwater runoff from farms and slaughterhouses, and tanning, pulp and paper factories. The commission includes Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia and is working in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Public hearings begin next month in all six states.